Sole fitting machine



July 6, 1954 Filed May 7, 1952 E. w. STACEY 2,682,674

SOLE FITTING MACHINE 13 Sheets-Sheet l 20 222 Q #039 /4 2s 80 a 7/8 e e /4 30 12 Q 208 20 22 la h r 0 0 Q Q Q o G 0 24 [n mentor Ernest WStacey J y 1954 E. w. STACEY 2,682,674

sou: FITTING MACHINE Filed May 7, 1952 13 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Z50 J4 Hg g 7 010mm v 1 f Ernesf-W Sigma? 52 48 J I By hi Atto eg y 6, 1954 E. w. STACEY 2,682,674

SOLE FITTING MACHINE Filed May 7, 1952 13 Sheets-Sheet 3 [rwerziaw Ernest W. Stacey By hi I If YQ July 6, 1954 E. W. STACEY SOLE FITTING MACHINE Filed May 7, 1952 l5 Sheets-Sheet 4 In uenzon E rn est W Stacey By his Attorney July 6, 1954 E. w. STACEY 2,682,674

SOLE FITTING MACHINE 1s ShetS-Sheet 5 Filed May 7, 1952 [r2 uerzzop Ernest WSzfacey I B jzgs Ar: y

E. w. STACEY SOLE FITTING MACHINE July 6, 1 954 13 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 7, 1952 lnunlor Ernest-W Stgcey By his tto y 954 E. w. STACEY 2,682,674

' SOLE FITTING MACHINE Filed May 7, 1952 13 Sheets-Sheet 7 In ve'rzzm W Sta cey 13 Sheets-Sheet 8 @N g Q8 I Q Q E. W. STACEY SOLE FITTING MACHINE July 6, 1 954 Filed May 7, 1952 July 6, 1954 E. w. STACEY sou: FITTING MACHINE l3 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed May '7, 1952 mfi QR I 3. w u v u fi I11." 1 m m $8 I a 5 n m l mm m m m b .w m o I 8 $5 Q m Mm wk I. mm I 6 a 14H m a L n ma 0 M w o r: mm a m M w www www I r lnuemfai Ernest W. Sza cey July 6, -1 954 Filed May 7, 1952 13 Sheets-Sheet 10 396 an??? g 392 4 Q 260 ll Q], 402 266 [n vemaw Ernest WStacey y 1954 E. w. STACEY SOLE FITTING MACHINE 13 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed May 7, 1952 mmn a? 3% I mi nmww I I 3 E Rn QQ I A Wm aw m8 w NM $8 3% A .3 mm am I I m2 NR [nverzfaw Ernest WStacey y 1954 s. w. STACEY sous FITTING MACHINE l3 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed May '7, 1952 lnuerz i02 Ern est WStacey July 6, 1954 I w, STACEY 2,682,674

SOLE FITTING MACHINE Filed May '7, 1952 13 Sheets-Sheet 15 2 I [n mentor Ernest W Stacey Patented July 6, 1954 SOLE FITTING MACHINE Ernest W. Stacey, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application May 7, 1952, Serial No. 286,525

8 Claims.

This invention relates to sole fitting machines and is illustrated as embodied in a machine of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,498,771, granted February 28, 1950 upon an application filed in my name. 7

The operations performed by this type of machine consist of simultaneously trimming the edge of a sole to the desired contour, beveling and roughing the margin of the sole entirely around it at one side in order to bring the edge of the soleto the desired width and to prepare the sole for the reception of cement, and reducing the thickness of the sole margins at the shank, as is commonly done by the so-called shank reducing operation.

As in prior machinesof this type, a sole is presented to the tool in the present machine on a jack which is moved relatively to the tool to cause the margin of the sole to be progressively presented to the tool. The position of the cutmade by the tool upon the sole is determined by a pattern against which the tool head is constantly held throughout the movement of the jack.

In the machine of my prior patent referred to above, a cam associated with the jack cooperates with mechanism on the tool head, in response to the feeding movement of the work, to lower the shank reducing cutter of the tool, below the field of action of the bevel'ing and roughing cutter, throughout the length of the shank at each side thereof where the shank reducing operation is to he efiected. It is desired that the limits of the shank reducing cuts be defined as sharply as possible, particularly at their forward extremities.

In view of the foregoing, one object of the present invention is to provide mechanism for lowering and raising the shank reducing cutter into and out of its operative position, respectively, with greater speed and certainty than was possible heretofore. To this end, and in accordance with a, feature of the invention, cam operated control mechanism, similar to that which heretofore has been utilized to move the shank reducing cutter into and out of its operative position, is employed to actuate a powerful and. quick acting fluid-operated means for moving the shank reducing cutter into and out of its operative position.

A further feature of the invention resides in an improved mounting for the three cutters of the .tool which permits each of the cutters to be adjusted along a common axis, in order tobring it into the desired relation to the work and pattern, without varying the relation of either of the other cutters with respect to the work or pattern,

A further object or. the invention is to improve the operation of the tool head in respect to both its pattern-following action. when a sole is being operated upon, and also its movement into and out of operative relation. to the pattern at the beginning and. end, respectively, of each operating. cycle of. the machine. a

From the first standpoint, provision is made in the illustrative machine, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, for exerting a uniform pressure upon the tool head to hold it againstthe pattern throughout the pattern-following motion of the tool head. Such control of the tool, in the illustrated machine, is obtained by the use of fluid-operated mechanism which permits the tool head to move to and fro, in response to the movement of the pattern, against a constant resistance which-is no greater than is necessary to insure the continuous engagement of the tool: head and pattern.

A much smaller force than this is adequate and desirable to move the tool head from. its inoperati ve position v gently into engagement with the pattern, and later to return the tool head to its inoperative position at the end of an operating cycle, and such reduced operating pressure for the tool head is obtained by the provision, in accordance with another feature of the invention, of

means for throttling the flow' of fluid at these times. However, the use of the above-mentioned throttling action is limited to the periods stated by means, under the control of the jack, for bypassing the thr-ottling means throughout the period during which the jack is in motion.

These and other features of the invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a perspective view of an illustrative machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 s a sectional front elevation illustrating the tool carrier; the tool head, and the tool driving mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the tool head;

Fig. 4' is a. plan view of the tool head;

Figs. 5, 6; 7,. 8- and 9 are sectional elevations of the tool head, the sections being. taken along the lines V-V, VIII-VIII and of Fig. 4;

Fig. lois a sectionalelevation of the means for holding. the cutters assembled upon the tool head;

Fig. his a side elevation of the jack and the jack carrier;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a. part of the jack;

Fig. 13 is a front elevation of the base of the machine, a portion of its front having been broken away to expose the operating mechanism;

Fig. 14 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 13, the top of the frame having been broken away to expose the operating mechanism;

Fig. 15 is a plan view, at an enlarged scale, of a part of the jack driving mechanism shown in Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary side elevation of the treadle mechanism for operating the work clamping means;

Fig. 17 is an elevation of the starting and controlling mechanism as viewed from the righthand side of the machine;

Fig. 18 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 17;

Fig. 19 is an elevation like Fig. 17 showing the starting lever and its mounting;

Fig. 20 is a diagrammatical view of the fluidpressure system; and

Figs. 21 and 22 are diagrammatical views illustrating the gyratory movement of the jack, and the pattern-following movement of the tool head.

A sole blank to be operated upon is held in a jack comprising a pattern holder [9 (Figs. 1 and 11) adapted to support a pattern l2 against which a sole blank S is clamped by a pair of presser feet It, It, the latter being adjustably mounted upon a cross-arm 15. This cross-arm is fixed to a shaft i8 which rotates and slides axially within the upper arm of a U-shaped carrier 20 for the jack. The jack carrier is mounted to swing about a vertical axis in a bearing 22 which is fixed to the frame 24 of the machine. By connections to be described in detail later, the jack, during one operating cycle of the machine, is rotated through one revolution with respect to the carrier 20; and, during the same period, the carrier is swung through two complete oscillations, each consisting of a movement of the carrier to the right from its position as illustrated in Fig. 1, and a return movement back aagin to its original position.

As a result of these movements of the jack, one

commplete transfer of the point of operation of a rotary tool 23 is made about the periphery of the sole, this tool being constructed and arranged simultaneously to trim the sole to the contour of the pattern, to bevel and rough the entire margin of the upper side of the sole, and to perform a shank reducing operation upon it.

The tool is mounted in a tool head 28 (Figs. 1 and 2) fixed upon the free end of a tool carrier which is mounted to swing about a vertical axis upon a hollow bearing 32 fixed to the frame 2s. By fluid-operating means, to be described in detail later, the tool carrier is swung to move the tool head into and out of operative relation with respect to the jack, as well as to hold the cutter in its operative position, as determined by the engagement of a guide shoe 34, adjustably mounted upon the tool head 28, with the edge of the pattern i2. As the jack rotates, the carrier 30 swings forwardly and rearwardly of the machine in accordance with the pattern following movement of the guide shoe which remains continuously throughout the traversing of the sole edge by the tool.

Upon depressing a treadle 316 the presser feet l4, M are raised above the pattern, permitting the sole blank S to be located properly thereon, and when the treadle is released the presser feet apply a preliminary yielding clamping pressure to the in engagement with the patternsole. Assuming that the machine has been prepared for operation, a cycle of its operation is started by pulling forwardly a starting lever 38 which actuates the fluid-operated mechanism for bringing the tool into its operative position, with the guide shoe 34 engaging the pattern, and applying final clamping pressure to the sole. Upon the arrival of the tool in its operative position, driving mechanism for the jack is engaged, causing the pattern and sole to be swung and rotated in the manner described above. Finally, at the end of the movement of the jack, the clamping pressure is automatically released and the tool carrier is swung rearwardly to return the tool head to its original inoperative position. If it is desired to stop the operation of the tool upon the sole at any time, the operator, by swinging a safety lever 48 rearwardly of the machine, actuates mechanism, to be described in detail later, for causing the tool carrier 39 immediately to swing the tool away from the sole and into its inoperative position. The jack completes its cycle of operation, and then comes to rest automatically. Having outlined the principal features and operating characteristics of the machine, its mechanism will now be described in detail.

A motor 42 (Figs. 13 and 14) drives, by means of a belt 44, a pulley 46 which is keyed to a drive shaft es, the latter being rotatably mounted in an angular bearing 53 (Fig. 2) which is attached to the frame in alinement with the above-mentioned bearing 32 for the tool carrier 30. A pump 52, fixed to the bearing 59, is connected to the rear end of the shaft 48, and provides a source of fluid pressure for all the fluid-operated mechanism of the machine. Gearing 54 connects the drive shaft :33 with another shaft 56 which is mounted on ball bearings within the bearing 32, and carries at its upper end a friction disk 58. Mounted to rotate freely upon the upper end of the shaft 58 is a pulley 60 to which is splined a grooved flange 62. Normally, this flange is held in frictional driving engagement with the disk 58 by a number of springs 64, which are housed in holes in the flange and are compressed between the flange and the pulley. A pair of belts 6'5 connect the pulley 68 with another pulley 68 which is fixed to the upper end of a shaft 10 (Fig. 9) rotatably mounted in the tool head 28, and carrying at its lower end a gear i2. An idler pulley M (Fig. 2) is mounted for adjustment upon the carrier 39, transversely of the belts 66, in order to tighten them, and is held in position by a clamp screw 16.

The drive for the tool can be interrupted without stopping the motor 42 by swinging, in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1), a lever 78 which is threaded upon a shaft 86 mounted to slide, without rotating, within a bracket 82 (Fig. 2) which is fixed to the tool carrier 36. This shaft has fixed upon its inner end a cross pin 84 which is received in slots in the bracket 82, and is adapted to engage a depending arm of a bell crank 86 which is mounted to swing upon the bracket 82 at 88. The upper arm of this bell crank is bifurcated, partially encircles the flange 62, and carries a pair of trunnion blocks 90 which are received in the groove in the flange, and are adapted to bear against a shoulder 92 on the flange adjacent to the pulley fill. It will now be evident that when the lever '18 is swung clockwise from its position as illustrated in Fig. 1, the bell crank 86 will be swung so as to disengage the flange $2 from the friction disk 58. whereupon, the pulley GIl will no longer be driven the lever T8 is returned to its original position.

The tool comprises a trimming cutter 94- (Fig. 9), a beveling and roughing cutter I96, and a shank-reducing and roughing cutter 98', these cutters being coaxially mounted, and provided with blades of the same shape and arrangement as in the similar cutters disclosed in my abovementioned prior patent. However, each cutter of the present machine is capable of being adj usted independently of the others along their common axis. The shank-reducing cutter 9 8 is detach-ably mounted by bayonet type of connecti'ons upon a sleeve 30- which is rotatahly'mounted upon ball bearings within a casing I02 arranged to slide vertically in a bore in the tool head 28, soas to permit the shank reducing cutter to he moved toward and away from the work. An elongated gear Ill4 is clamped to the sleeve- Hill and meshes with the above-mentioned gear 12 throughout the range of adjustment of the shank-reducing cutter. In telescoping relation with the sleeve I06, and spline'd thereto at IP06, is anothersleeve I08 having hinged upon its lower ends a series of hooks I'IIl (Fig. 10)

which are arranged to hold the hub of the 'beveling and roughing cutter 96 assembled upon the sleeve I08. A spring loaded collar 2 urges the hooks outwardly toward their operative positions, but permits them to be retracted from the cutter hub for purposes of removing the cutter from the machine. A series of lugs H4 (Fig. 10) on the sleeve I08 'fit within complemental recesses in the hub of the cutter .95 to provide a driving connection between the sleeve 1 and the cutter. Y

The sleeve IE8 is supported and positioned heightwise of the tool head by connections comprising a slide II'G' ('Fig. 5), which is connected by'a ball bearing to the upper end of the sleeve, and an adjusting screw II8- which is threaded into the tool head. A spring 120- compressed in a hole in the lower end of the slide I I5 urges the latter upwardly, with a force sufficient to overcome the weight of the cutter 9B, sleeve 16B, and

which the trimming cutter 9 is held by a pair of hooks I28. These hooks are hinged on the shaft I26, and are yieldingly held in their operative positions by a spring-loaded plunger I38, mounted to slide in the shaft axially thereof. In

order to remove the trimming cutter from the shaft 128, the operator elevates the plunger I33 so as to Cause a cross pin I32 on the plunger to move between the inner ends of the hooks, whereby they are retracted within the shaft I263. The

trimming cutter 94 is supported and adjusted heightwise of the tool by connections comprising a slide I34 (Fig. 6), mounted to move vertically within the tool head, and carrying a ball bearing upon which the upper end of the shaft I26 is also mounted. A spring I36, compressed within a hole in the lower end of the slide I34, urges the latter upwardly with a. force sufiicient to overcome the weight of the shaft I26 and trimming cutter 94, and holds an inclined shoulder *I38-on the slide in engagement "with the end of 6 an adjusting screw III) which is threaded into the tool head. It will now be evident thatv by turning the screw I40, the trimming cutter can be raised or lowered at will, with respect to-the other cutters, and independently thereof.

The trimming cutter is normally adjusted so that lips Hi2 upon the lower ends of its teeth slightly chamfer the edge of the sole at its lower side which rests upon the pattern. Similarly, the beveli-hg and roughing cutter 96- is adjusted heightwise, to obtain the desired width of solo edge, by adjusting the screw II 8. Once these cutters have been adjusted, their positions in the tool head remain the same, throughout the operation of the machine, until their readjustment may be required by a different kind of work. However, twice during each operating cycle of the machine, when the shank of the sole is-presented .to the tool, the shank-reducing cutter 9 8 is abruptly lowered below the level at which the beveling and roughing cutter 96 operates; but while the fore and heel parts of the sole are being beveled and roughened by the cutter 96, the shank-reducing cutter 98 is held above the sole. Such positioning of the shank-reducing cutter 98 is effected by a cam-controlled and fluid-operated mechanism which will now be described in detail.

The above-mentioned casing Ill-2 (Figs. 8 and 9) within which the sleeve I IlIl for supporting the shank-reducing cutter is rotatably mounted, is supported vertically within the tool head 28 by an arm I 54 which is fixed to a slide I=4 6 mounted to reciprocate vertically in the tool head 28. The slide is urged upwardly by a spring I48 which is compressed between the tool head and a washer I55 arranged to seat upon an adjusting nut I52 which is threaded upon the slide I td. A groove in this nut receives a pair of pins Ids which are fixed to the forward bifurcated end of a lever I56, and the lever is mounted to swing about a horizontal axis at I58 (Fig. 4) on the tool head 28. Upward movement of the slide I46 may be limited by an adjustable stop screw I60, which is threaded into the lever I56 and is adapted to engage the upper side of the tool head. A pair of pins I62, fixed in the bifurcated rear arm of the lever I56, are received by a grooved collar I64 (Figs. 4 and '7) which is fixed to the upper end of a piston rod I66. On the lower end of the rod there is a piston I63 arranged to slide within a cylinder I'IIl formed vertically in a block I12 which is fixed to the tool head. Provision is made for applying fluid under pressure to the bottom of the piston I68 which, overcoming the compression of a spring I14, abruptly moves to its upper position, as determined by the seating upon the bottom of a recess in the piston I68 of a cross pin I'IIS fixed to the block I'I2. It will now be evident that, with the-piston held firmly in its elevated position, the operative position of the shank-reducing cutter 98 can be adjusted by turning the above-mentioned adjusting nut I52, according to the desired depth of the shank reducing out. It is further noted that this adjustment and movement of the shank-reducing cutter is effected independently of the other cutters, and without disturbing their adjustment with respect to'each other or to the work.

Fluid pressure is supplied to the piston I68 under the control of a valve I78 arranged to reciprocate within a vertical chamber I80 formed in the block I12. Fluid under pressure is delivered from the pump 52 through a duct I82 into the chamber I80, from which ports I84, I*8'61ea'd into the upper and lower ends of the cylinder I10, respectively. The valve I18 is normally held in its upper position (Fig. 7), with its upper end abutting a cover I88 fixed to the upper side of the block I12, by-a spring I80 which is compressed between the valve and another cover I92 fixed to the lower side of the block. With the valve in this position, fiuid pressure is admitted to the upper end of the piston I68 which is small in effective area, and hence is urged 1 downwardly under a relatively light fluid pressure, as well as by the spring I14. The shankreducing cutter is now held in its elevated, inoperative position. However, if the valve is lowered so as to connect the port I86 and duct I82, fluid pressure is applied against the lower end of the piston causing it to be lifted quickly through its entire stroke, whereby the shankreducing cutter is abruptly'lowered into its operative position. The valve I18 is thus operated once at each side of the sole, when the shank portion arrives at the field of action of the tool, by mechanism next to be described.

A lever I94 (Fig. 3), which is fulcrumed upon the cover I 92, is connected at one end by pinand-slot connections to the valve I18, and is also pivotally connected at its other end to an adjustable link I98. The lower end of this link is pivoted upon another lever I98 which is fulcrumed upon the lower side of the tool head, and has formed upon its forward end a dome 200 arranged to engage a pair of cams 202 which are constructed and mounted upon the pattern holder It in the manner fully described in my above-mentioned prior patent. As a boundary of the shank portion of the sole at either side approaches the point of operation of the tool, the dome 200 is engaged by the beveled margin of the cam 202 at the side of the sole being operated upon, and is lowered. Through the lever I58, link I96, and lever I94, the valve I18 is now lowered, causing the piston I68 to rise to its upper position, and the shank-reducing cutter S8 to be lowered, below the level of the cutter 98,

to its operative position. Similarly, when the shank-reducing cut is to be terminated the cam 202 moves off the dome 2G8, and the valve I18 is returned to its initial position by the spring I98, whereby fluid is permitted to be exhausted through the port I88, and thence out of the I block I12 through exhaust ports 283 and a com mon duct 294 which leads into a sump 205 formed in the bottom of the frame 24. The spring I14, and the fluid pressure exerted upon the upper side of the piston I86 now return the piston to its lower position, causing the shank-reducing cutter to be elevated into its inoperative position out of engagement with the sole.

When the starting lever 38 (Fig. 1) is pulled forwardly, fluid-operated mechanism swings the tool carrier 36 under a light force to bring the guide shoe'34 gently into engagement with the pattern I2. Thereafter, this mechanism causes an increased but constant force to be applied to the carrier until a complete traverse of the work past the tool has been made, and then the tool carrier is returned under the lighter force to its original position. This mechanism comprises a link 208 (Figs. 1 and 13) which connects the tool carrier with a crank 240 which is fixed upon the upper end of a shaft 2I2, the latter being rotatably mounted in the frame 24, and having fixed upon its lower end an arm 2I4. This arm is connected by a rod 2IB to a piston 2I8 which is mounted to reciprocate in a cylinder 220 to which variable fluid pressure is supplied by control mechanism, to be described later, in order to cause the tool carrier to be operated under either the light or the full pressure conditions referred to above.

The presser feet I4, I4 are adapted to be swung between either of two positions (for right and left soles, as is fully disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,498,771), upon slides 222 (Fig. 11) which are mounted for adjustment along the cross-arm IE, according to the size of the pattern being used. The slides are held in adjusted position upon the cross-arm by latches 224 which are pivoted on the cross-arm and are adapted to engage notched plates on the slides. It will be understood that the same pattern I2 is used whether a right or left sole is to be operated upon. When a change from one type of sole to the other is required, the pattern is inverted upside down on the holder I0, and the presser feet I4 are swung upon their slides 222.

The presser feet are operated to exert a light preliminary clamping pressure against a sole on the pattern by the following mechanism. A grooved collar 22G fixed upon the shaft I8 receives the forward forked end of a lever 228 which is fulcrumed at 230 upon the jack carrier 20'. Near its rear end this lever is engaged by a piston 232 which is urged upwardly by a spring 234. The

- spring is compressed between the piston and the bottom of a cylinder 238 which is fixed to the jack carrier and receives the piston 232. The abovedescribed connections, powered by the spring 234, normally cause the above-mentioned light preliminary clamping pressure to be applied by the presser feet to the work. Later, and as will be more fully described below, fluid under pressure is supplied to the cylinder 236 to cause the piston 232 to apply considerable force to the lever 228, whereby a heavy final clamping pressure is maintained upon the work through the period during which the tool operates upon it. Acting upon the lever 228, to lift the presser feet away from the pattern when the work is to be placed upon or removed from the pattern, is a link 238 which connects the rear end of the lever 228 with another lever 240 (Fig. 16) which is fulcrumed at 242 on the frame of the machine, and is connected by a link 244 to the rear end of the treadle 38. A spring 248, stretched between the rearward arm of the treadle and the frame, counterbalances the above-described linkage; and a stop 248, fixed to the lever 240 and arranged to engage the frame of the machine, limits the downward movement of the presser feet I 4 when no sole is on the pattern.

The jack is rotated upon the jack carrier, and the jack carrier is oscillated with respect to the frame by the following mechanism. A pulley 250 (Figs. 13 and 14) is keyed to the drive shaft 48, and is connected by a belt 252 to another pulley 254 which is mounted to rotate freely upon a horizontal input shaft 258 of a reduction gear unit 258 (Fig. 15) having a vertical output shaft 260 carrying a pinion 262 at its upper end. Power is delivered from the pulley 254 to the shaft 256 by a clutch collar 264 which is splined to the shaft and, when held against the adjacent side of the pulley 254, provides a frictional connection between these parts. When the clutch collar is moved in the opposite direction, and is held against a braking flange 286 fixed to the unit 258, rotation of the shaft 258 is quickly stopped. The clutch collar is held in engagement with either the pulley 254 or the braking flange 286 by a shifter 9 arm 258 which is mounted to swing upon a bracket 210 fixed to the unit 258, the arm being forked and carrying trunnion blocks 2'12 which are free- 1y received in a groove in the clutch collar. Mechanism for operating the shifter arm 238 will be described later.

The jack is rotated relatively to the jack carrier by a gear train which is driven by the pinion 2232 on the above-mentioned reduction gear unit 253. This gear train comp-rises a gear 2'54 which is fixed to a crank shaft 216 rotatably mounted in the frame 24. The gear 274 drives a gear 218 which is fixed to a control cam shaft 280, also rotatably mounted in the frame. The gear 278 meshes with another gear 282 which is fixed to the lower end of a shaft 282 mounted to rotate freely in bearings in the frame. Fixed to the upper end of the shaft 284 is a gear 288 which, through a pair of identical idler gears 290 (Fig. 11) rotatably mounted on the jack carrier, drives another gear 292 which is fixed to a shaft 294 rotatably mounted in the jack carrier. The shaft 294 is aligned with the shaft I8 (upon which the presser feet l4 are mounted), and carries upon its upper end the above-mentioned pattern relatively to the tool is the resultant of the above-described rotation of the jack upon the carrier 20 and a lateral oscillating movement which is imparted to the carrier by the following connections. The left-hand end of a link 295 (Figs. 1, l1 and 13) is pivoted, at 298, to the lower .side of the carrier, and its other end is pivoted to a crank pin 38!; mounted upon a slide 302 which is adjustable upon a crank 364, the latter being fixed upon the upper end of the above-mentioned crank shaft 2'58. By turning an adjusting screw 335, the position of the slide 362 can be varied on the crank in order to'control the eccentricity of the crank pin B, and hence the angle through which the jack carrier 20 is oscillated. It will now be evident that, in View of the 1:2 ratio between the angular velocities of the gears 214 and 292, the jack carrier will be moved through two complete oscillations (each oscillation comprising a movement from left to right, and back again), while the jack is making one complete revolution with respect to the jack carrier.

These rotative movements of the jack, about two different axes, produce one advantageous result in that the pattern is moved, when the sides of a sole are being operated upon, in a broadly curved path approximating the shape of the sides of the pattern, so that only a small pattern following movement of the tool head is required for maintaining the engagement of the guide shoe with the pattern. Moreover, as the point of operation of the tool on the sole travels around both its toe and heel ends, the resultant of the combined rotative movements of the pattern is in a path approximating the contours of the toe and heel ends of the sole, whereby only a minimum of pattern following movement of the cutter is required at these times. In addition, a further advantageous result of the motion of the jack is that a relation of normalcy between the edge of the pattern, where it is engaged by the guide shoe 34, and the direction of the pattern following movement of the tool head is approximated, whereby sudden changes in the following movements in the guide shoe, and any tendency for the guide shoe to become jammed against the pattern are avoided. A The motion of the jack, and the relation between the pattern and the tool head will now be described in greater detail with reference to Figs.

21 and 22, which show the relative positions of the pattern and the tool head at successive stages of one cycle of operation of the machine. Referring now to Fig. 21, I2 designates the initial position of the pattern, corresponding to the initial position at A, of the crank pin 300. At this time, at the start of an operating cycle of the machine, the corresponding cutter and guide shoe position 26 is near the heel breast line at the inner side of a left pattern, as illustrated. While the crank pin 300 is rotated counterclockwise through 180 to the position B, the pattern, because it is subject to the swinging of the carrier 28 to its extreme right-hand position 20 has a tendency to rotate counterclockwise with respect to the tool. However, the effect of the gear train,

between and including the gears 214 and 292 is always to rotate the pattern clockwise with respect to the jack carrier. Because of the epicyclic relation of the gears 290 and 288, and the swinging motion of the carrier, the actual or resultant rotation of the pattern (between positions l2 and 52 relatively to the frame or tool head is minus twice the angle through which the carrier swings. Thus, when the carrier swings from left to right, the rotation of the jack thereon is diminished, and the greater portion of the side of the sole, from the heel-breast line to about the inside tip line, is presented to the tool while the pattern is rotated through the relatively small acute angle between the pattern positions [2 and 12 During the next of rotation of the crank pin 30!) to its D position (Fig. 22), the carrier is swung from right to left, the pattern still being rotated by the above-mentioned gear train. This reverse swinging movement of the carrier, because of the epicyclic relationof the gears 2'90 and 288, now causes the pattern to be rotated at an increased angular velocity through the supplement of the above-mentioned acute angle, while the point of operation of the tool upon the sole travels around its toe end.

It will be further observed that the tendency of the toe end of the sole to move to the right (from the l2 position), because of its rotation upon the carrier, is partially oifset by the bodily movement of the sole to the left which is derived from the swinging movement of the carrier to the left. For these reasons, the peripheral feeding movement of the sole is moderate while its toe or heel end is beingrounded even though the angular velocity of the sole is greater than when the shank is operated upon. In fact, the motion of the pattern and sole is such, when their end portions are being traversed by the tool, that the pattern and sole are rotated substantially about the centers of curvature of their end portions. For this reason, a minimum of following movement is required on the part of the tool head in order that contact shall be maintained between the guide shoe 34 and the pattern. A further result of bodily swinging the pattern in opposition to its rotative movement upon the carrier, while the ends of the sole are being operated upon, is to cause the pressure of the guide shoe upon the pattern always to be exerted in approximately the direction of the pattern following movement of the tool head. By maintaining this relation between the tool head and pattern, any tendency of a jamming action to occur between them is avoided. Positions 26 and 12 of the tool head and pattern, respectively, illustrate this relation when the toe end of the sole is operated upon, and when the crank pin 300 is in the position designated C.

As the crank pin completes its first full revolution (at D Fig. 22), the point of operation of the tool upon the sole is carried into the vicinity of the outside tip line, at which time the carrier and pattern will have been swung into their extreme left-hand positions 20 and i2, respectively.

When the crank 3i!!! moves through the succeeding 180 to its E position, the tool traverses the outside shank of the sole. As before, while the jack carrier swings from left to right, the rotation of the pattern upon the carrier is diminished, and the pattern following movement of the tool head is minimized. Next, the heel end of the sole is traversed by the tool at a moderate peripheral feeding speed in a manner similar to that in which the toe end of the sole was rounded, the return swinging movement of the carrier tending to decelerate the feeding movement as much as it is accelerated by the rotative movement of the patern upon the carrier. Moreover, the return swinging motion of the carrier causes the sole and pattern to be bodily moved to the left so that, as before, the direction of the patter following movement of the guide shoe and of its pressure against the pattern are maintained substantially normal to the contour of the pattern. This relation is again indicated, at the heel end of the pattern, by the positions of the pattern and tool head at l2 and 26 respectively, corresponding to the position of the crank 330 at F. Thus, during the last half of the second revolution of the crank pin 300, the point of operation of the tool upon the sole is transferred from the outside of the heel end of the sole to the inside thereof where the operation started, as indicated by the positions of the tool head and the pattern at 26 and I2 respectively, in Fig. 21.

The presser feet I 4, l4 are rotated with the pattern by the following connections, which are driven from the shaft 294 upon which the pattern holder H3 is mounted. A sprocket 303 (Fig. 11), fixed to the shaft, and another sprocket 3H), mounted upon the lower end of a hollow shaft 312, are connected by a chain 3M. The shaft 3l2 is mounted to rotate freely in the jack carrier 20, and has fixed upon its upper end another sprocket 316 which is connected by a chain 3l8 with a sprocket 320, the latter being splined to the shaft l8.

Before proceeding with a detailed description of the control mechanism, certain states of the machine, existing while it is idle, will first be described. Assuming that the motor 42 is running, the pump 52 draws fluid from the sump 296 through a pipe 322 (Fig. 13 and 20) and filter 324, and delivers the fluid through a check valve 326 and pipe 328 to a relief valve 333. This valve deliveres oil, under pressure up to 700 lbs. per square inch, through pipes 332 and 334 to the right-hand chamber of the above-mentioned cylinder 229, and a control valve 335, respectively. With the machine running idly, the control valve is in its inoperative position and passes no fluid pressure. In the cylinder 220,

however, fluid pressure is exerted against the right-hand end of the piston 218, which, through the rod N6, the arm 21 3 and the shaft 232, holds an arm 338, which is fixed to the shaft, against a stop 34%. The tool carrier SD, and hence the tool are thus held in their inoperative positions. The stop is mounted upon the left-hand end of a stop lever 352 (Fig. 18) which is pivoted at 354 to the lower side of the frame to swing about a vertical axis, and is urged in a clockwise direction by a spring 3 1%, stretched between the left-hand arm of the lever and the frame, in order to insure the engagement of the stop 340 with the arm 338 at the end of each cycle of operation of the machine.

Considering now the drive for the jack in its idle state, the clutch collar 264 (Fig. 15) is held against the braking flange 255 by the shifter arm 2%. Integral with this arm is a shifter lever 358 which at this time is forced toward the left by a spring-loaded latch 35!]. The latch extends through a recess in the rear end of the lever and is provided with a shoulder 352 arranged to engage the right-hand side of the lever. The latch is mounted to slide within a tube 354, between which and the latch there is compressed a spring 356 arranged to urge the latch toward the left. The tube is pivoted upon one arm of a bell crank 358 which is pivoted at 3 59 upon the frame, the other arm of the bell crank carrying a roll 369 arranged to run upon a cam 362 which is fixed to the shaft 280. A spring 36 1 stretched between the tube 351i and the bell crank 358 urges the crank in a counterclockwise direction to maintain the roll 36!! in engagement with the cam 362 at all times. The spring 355 is strong enough to overcome springs (not shown), mounted internally within the clutch collar 264, for holding the latter in driving engagement with the pulley 254 when the latch 35B is operated to release the shifter lever 36%, and to start a cycle of operation of the jack, as will be described below.

Let it now be assumed that a sole blank S has been placed on the pattern 12, and that'the treadle 36 has been released by the operator to permit the presser feet M, 14 to hold the work against the pattern under the preliminary pressure provided by the spring 234. This pressure is sufficient to hold the work piece in whatever position it is placed upon the pattern, and yet is not too great to prevent the operator from shifting the work piece into the desired position. It is further to be assumed that the lever 18 has been moved into its right-hand operative position to complete the drive to the tool.

To start a cycle of operation of the machine, the operator pulls the starting lever 38 forwardly which, through the connections next to be described, first releases a hook 356 (Fig. 15) which moves into operative relation to the latch 350, and then sets the control valve 336 in its operative position. The starting lever 38 operates a rockshaft 31!! (Figs. 17 and 18), which is mounted to swing about a horizontal axis in a bracket 312 fixed to the frame, through a system of pivotally connected links and levers comprising an adjustable link 3141, a lever 316 fulcrumed on the frame, a link are, and a lever arm 380, the latter being fixed to the rockshaft 310. A spring 382 stretched between the frame and the link 3 tends to hold the starting lever in its inoperative position, as determined by the engagement of a stop 384 on the lever with the frame. Forward movement of the starting lever is liniited by the engagement of another stop .305, on the lever 316, with the frame. Fixed to .the rockshaft 3'10 adjacent to the arm 380 is another arm 386 to which one end of .a rod .388 is connected, the other end of this rod carrying a stop nut 380 (Fig. 15) arranged to engage an arm 390 which is mounted to swing upon .a stud 392. This stud is mounted upon .a link 394 having an elongated slot 395 arranged to receive a swivel block 398 which is mounted in the bifurcated right-hand end of an arm 400. This arm is fixed to the above-mentioned shaft 212 of the mechanism for operating the tool carrier. The link 394, at its forward end, is pivoted to a link 402 which is mounted to swing about a vertical axis upon the above-mentioned bracket 210. Under the .control of the arm 40.0 and link 4.0.2, the link 394 may move with a substantially parallel motion. The above-mentioned hook 3.66 is pivotally mounted at 404 upon a block 406 which is fixed to the link 3514, and a spring 408 compressed between the hook and the block urges the hook toward the latch .350. The hook 360 is normally held retracted from the latch by the engagement of the lower end of the hook with a shoulder M0 on the above-mentioned arm 390, but after a very short forward movement of the starting lever 38 has occurred, the rod 388 retracts the arm 390 from the hook, as stated above, permitting the latter to move to its operative position with its end overlying the latch 350.

When the control valve 336 is set in its operative position, fluid pressure is directed to the cylinder 220 of the mechanism for operating the tool carrier, and to the cylinder 236 of the workclamping mechanism, through connections comprising a pipe 4l2 (Fig. 20) having a branch 4l3 which enters the cylinder 236. Fluid under pressure in this cylinder acts upon the piston 232 to cause increased clamping pressure to be applied to the work. A sequence valve M4 in the pipe 412 is arranged to pass fluid under a pressure of 350 lbs. per square inch or more toward a check valve 4l6, but allows afree flow .of. fluid in the opposite direction. A pipe 414! connects the valve 4l6 withanother checkvalve 420, and a pipe 422 leads from the valve 420 to the lefthand chamber of the cylinder 220. Another pipe 424 connects the pipes 442, 422 so as to by-pass the check valves 416, 420,'the flo'w ;of .fluidth-rough the pipe 424 being under the control of a valve 424 which is operated in timed relation to the swinging movement of-the jack carrier :20, as will be described later.

The control valve 333 is set in its operative position by connections comprising a lever 4.28 (Figs. 17, 18 and 20), which is mounted to swing about a horizontal axis on a block 430 fixed to the frame, and has a spring-loaded plunger 432 arranged toengage the stem 434 of the valve. A

rod 426 is pivoted at one end to the lever 428, and at the other end is connected by a pin 43! to a U-shaped arm 438 which is mounted to swing about a horizontal axis at 440 on the frame. Pivoted upon a bifurcated arm 442 fixed to the lefthand end of the rockshaft 3.10 is a catch 444, having a hooked end arranged normally to over he the pin 43?, and a tail which is acted upon by a spring-loaded plunger 446, carried by the arm 442, so as yieldingly to hold the catch 444 in engagement with the pin 4.31. It will now be evident that when the starting lever 38 is pulled forwardly, the lever .428, through the mechanism just described, will :be operated toset the control valve in its operative position. The valve is releasably held in this position by a latch 440 which is mounted to swing, upon a stud 450 fixed to the frame, behind the rear side of the lever 428, under the influence of a spring 425 stretched between the latch and the frame. Toward the end of the forward movement of the arm 442, a stop 454 fixed upon the bracket 3112 is engaged by the tail of the catch 44 4 and causes the catch to be lifted off the pin 437'.

As soon as the control valve 336 is set in its operative position in the above manner, fluid under pressure enters the pipe M2 (Fig. 20) and is delivered through the pipe 413 to the cylinder 236 of the clamping mechanism, to cause an increased pressure to be applied to the work. The fluid pressure, upon building up to 350 lbs. per square inch, passes the valve 4 I 4, and also passes freely through the check valve 4l6, thence through the pipe 410 into the check valve 420, from which the fluid cannot flow, towardthe pipe 422, except by passing through a throttle valve 453 which permits only a small flow of fluid into the pipe 422. Since the area of the left-hand end of the piston 2! is greater than that of its right hand end, the piston will be subject to adiiferential pressure which will cause it to move to the right, and at a slow speed because of the action of the throttle valve 456. Through the above-described mechanical connections between the piston 2-l0 and the tool carrier 30, the tool head will be swung forwardly of the machine at a moderate speed to bring the guide shoe 34 gently into engagement with the pattern I2 As soon as this occurs, the resistance of the pattern to further forward movement of the guide shoe causes the pressure in the fluid system to rise to the highest permissible pressure (700 lbs. per square inch), as determined by the relief valve, and from this point on, while the sole is being operated upon, the presser feet l4, 1 4 engage the sole, and the guide shoe 34 engages the pattern with a relatively heavy pressure.

During'the first part of the forward movement of the tool carrier 30, the arm 400 moves freely in the recess 306 (Fig. 15) in the link 394. However, before the guide shoe 34 engages the pattern, the block 398 on the arm 400 becomes seated against the link at the forward end of the recess therein, and accordingly, the final movement of the arm causes the hook 366, which has already been set over the latch 350, to pull the latter forwardly, disengaging its shoulder 352 from the shifter lever 348. The clutch collar 264 is now disengaged from the braking flange 266, and is moved into driving engagement with the pulley 254 by its internal springs. Upon the release of the shifter lever 348 by the latch 350, the latter moves to the left,.under the influence of the spring 356, far enough to reset the hook 366 with its lower end overlying the shoulder 4H] on the arm 320.

With the drive for the jack in operation, the above-described cycle of gyrating movement of the work is begun. As soon as the rotative movement of the jack upon the carrier begins, the above-mentioned valve 426 is operated to permit the pipe 424 to by-pass the check valves 4! 6, 420, thereby allowing an unrestricted flow of fluid into the cylinder 220 so that the following movement of the guide shoe 34, in response to the gyrating movement of the pattern, will be rapid enough to insure the continuous and firm engagement of the guide shoe with the pattern. .The valve 426 (Figs. 13, 1.4 and 20) comprises a 

